The fight took place at the Corkscrew Saloon in Death Valley, California. The sheriff’s office said in a statement: “After the Inyo County Sheriff’s Deputy arrived on scene and interviewed witnesses, it was determined that there had been an argument that escalated into a physical confrontation–resulting in an individual being struck and a broken window.”

The bassist was arrested for misdemeanor assault, public intoxication and vandalism.

On a nondescript residential street on the Eastside of Los Angeles, a small fleet of black chauffeured sedans sits idling in the fading late-afternoon sun. Perhaps President Obama is in town, dropping in on an everyday taxpayer to get a sense of how the economic stimulus package is working? Nope.

Maybe Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie lost track of one of their kids and are now leading a door-to-door search party? Wrong again. The Dodgers have decided to forgo the draft and start searching for new players in random backyards? Afraid not.

As it happens, the vehicles are actually awaiting a far more motley crew: Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Vinny Appice, all of whom are finishing up a photo shoot inside a nearby home. Individually you know these guys as four of the heaviest hitters in metal. Together, of course, they’re Heaven & Hell, and this is how they roll.

The last time Dio graced Revolver’s cover, our heroes were heading out on 2008’s Metal Masters Tour alongside Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Testament. Now they’re preparing for the release of The Devil You Know (Rhino), their first official full-length under the name Heaven & Hell, which follows up the band’s 1992 album Dehumanizer. (Dio, Iommi, Butler and Appice originally reconvened in 2006 to record a handful of new tracks for The Dio Years, a Sabbath-era best-of, and in 2007 they put out the double-disc Live From Radio City Music Hall.)

True to its title, The Devil You Know—which the band recorded late last year at Rockville Studios in Wales—is a familiar beast, with Dio howling as dramatically as ever about pain, cannibals, and how religion’s light has left him blind over Iommi’s uber-metal riffs and Butler and Appice’s earth-shaking rhythm-section grooves.

Highlights include “Rock and Roll Angel,” with its spookily gorgeous Spanish-guitar outro, and “Neverwhere,” in which Dio raises eyebrows about how “the hand that rocks the cradle in the morning could be lurking ’round the corner with a gun.” But as befits the work of musicians whose collective idea of quality control seriously predates the iTunes era, Devil is solid all the way through.

“Anything they write is a hit,” says Testament frontman Chuck Billy, who fondly remembers “shooting the shit” with the band’s members on the Metal Masters trek. (In a neat coincidence, Testament’s final gig with its original lineup was an opening slot on Black Sabbath’s Dehumanizer tour.) Continues Billy, “It definitely doesn’t suck to have new Heaven & Hell music.”

To find out how that music came to be, Revolver corralled Dio, Iommi, and Butler for a candid, in-depth talk about where they’ve been, where they’re going, and what it takes (besides a Town Car) to get there from here.

REVOLVER You’ve all expressed varying opinions in the past about making a new studio album as Heaven & Hell. Why’d you finally decide the time was right?TONY IOMMI Because we wanted to do one. [futureusgalleryLaughs] We chatted about it and decided it’d be a good idea. That simple, huh?RONNIE JAMES DIO I think it was a whole process. First we wrote the three tracks together for the compilation album. And then some speculation came along: “Will they do another one?” So we toured, and that cemented the relationship a bit more; we had to do that to find out if everything else was gonna work. Then we decided that, yeah, this is too good a thing for us to stop, so we’ll carry on. For us it wasn’t a matter of not being capable of doing it. That is the case for a lot of bands, but I would hate to think that people were asking if we were gonna do another album based upon whether or not we were capable of doing it. We’re damn well capable of doing it, and we’ve proven it this time.

How do you think the music on The Devil You Know compares to what you made together under the Black Sabbath banner?GEEZER BUTLER It’s still heavy, as heavy as the others that we’ve done. We’re not doing disco or anything like that. We’re still carrying on where we left off on Dehumanizer and the three songs that are on the compilation album—that same kind of thing.

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How much time did you spend writing in a room together before heading into the studio?BUTLER We did probably six weeks of writing in Ronnie’s studio, then we went on tour for a month. Then we came back and carried on writing at Ronnie’s studio for another six weeks. With the current state of recording technology, you could easily make a record without ever being in the same studio at the same time.DIO You could, sure. But you felt that working together was valuable.IOMMI Absolutely.BUTLER You just work off each other, and everybody inspires everybody else. And surprises each other, as well: You’ll come up with something and think, Well, that’s not gonna go anywhere. And then someone will come up with something that you wouldn’t have thought about. That’s where the magic comes in.DIO You also need support when you do things on your own. You can sit in your own little studio and write for the rest of your life, but you don’t really know at the end of the day if the other guys are gonna like it. Luckily we don’t have a problem with that. If you hear something and someone goes, “No, it’s not right,” no one screams and yells and kicks. We always seem to know what’s right for us; I don’t think we try to really present too much that we’re unsure of, that one of us is gonna go, “That really is horrible.” But once again you need to be affirmed. You need someone to say to you, “That’s really good—I like that.” That’s, I think, why we like to work together, because we do support each other a lot, and I think we get the best out of each other.

How much time do you guys spend around one another when you’re not on tour or in the studio?DIO Because Geezer, myself, and Vin live here in LA, we’re not terribly far removed from each other. We see each other a lot more than we see Tony, of course, because Tony’s in England most of the time. Geezer will see Tony perhaps more than we will because he has a place in England as well. But even then, you know, I think we spend enough time in each other’s pockets—and in each other’s purses, perhaps—that it’s nice to be away from it because we know we’re gonna be put together again. But we like each other. We have parties, you know? If I have a party, Geezer’s there, Vinny’s here. And we look forward to that—everyone likes to take the Mickey out of each other. It’s a very special situation. Last year you played the Metal Masters Tour. What were the audiences like at those shows?BUTLER Quite a few of the older people.

But it was a mixture: You get the old fans from the ’70s, then you get their kids. Now you’re getting their kids.IOMMI And some of the same women from the ’70s. Skeletons there in coffins. [futureusgalleryLaughs]

Did that tour cement in your minds the influence you guys have had on younger metal bands?BUTLER I don’t even think like that at all. It’s a gig, and you go on and play your gig. You don’t really think about anybody else. Just concentrate on this band.DIO It’s nice to know that that happens, of course. We hear that all the time, especially in the case of Geezer and Tony, because of Sabbath and how important it was from the beginning with Ozzy and Bill [futureusgalleryWard] and Tony and Geezer, and what that did to young bands. So Vinny and I, our perspective is a little outside that, so we can see it. And of course we see it from what we’d done from Heaven and Hell onward.IOMMI That created a whole new element. Heaven and Hell opened up a new world for us.DIO It did. And now we’re on the third leg of it, really—the kids of the kids of the kids.

Maybe it’s a testament to the cyclical nature of the way music evolves. DIO I think so. And it’s also a testament to the fact that we don’t chop and change—we do one thing, and I think that that’s always been our strength. We don’t apologize for that and we don’t write reggae songs or disco material. We do one thing, and I think people are pleased with that. Not having strayed somewhere off is really what has solidified our place of influence among the younger bands who are real adamant about the music that they like. Luckily for us, that music happens to be part of what
we do.

You’re heading out on tour soon. Will you be playing much from The Devil You Know?BUTLER We’ll be doing some of it, I should imagine.DIO It’s a difficult thing to do. People are so caught up in what you were. Luckily there are some great songs on this album, but you know, these things take time. It’s not like it used to be, when you were just flooded with hearing a band’s new material on the radio because everything was going so well. Now you don’t get that initial blockbuster attitude coming out, so you don’t really know what you’re gonna do. We’ll do some of them, not only because we want to but because we should.BUTLER It’s all good live stuff. Before we even recorded it, we went into a studio and played the whole thing live end to end. So it’s all written with a mind to playing it at live shows. It’s just a matter of picking which ones.

The catalog of material between you guys—even just the well-known stuff—is immense. How do you choose what to spotlight?BUTLER It gets difficult. As soon as you replace one tune with something else, everybody goes, “Why’d you take that out?!”

Do you feel a sense of obligation to give the fans what they want?BUTLER Well, they’re the ones who’re paying the money, so you’ve gotta listen to them. I think on this tour, we know what people most wanna hear, so that’s what we give them.

Is there stuff that will always be a part of any Heaven & Hell set list? What are three songs you could never imagine not playing?DIO, IOMMI, AND BUTLER [futureusgallerytogether] “Heaven and Hell.”DIO “Neon Knights,” probably. Maybe “The Mob Rules.”IOMMI We’re gonna reel off the whole set list.DIO It’s amazing when you think about it. We love doing all the songs, and they work so well. It’s almost gotta be a sin to take anything out, because we know that set list so well. But we need to and we will.

As you prepare to hit the road again, are there places that you really look forward to playing?BUTLER Well, of course, as the years have gone on, more markets have opened up and more countries have opened. Now you’ve got a lot of the Communist countries that you weren’t allowed to go to before.DIO Like Canada. [futureusgalleryLaughs]

Is there anywhere in the world any of you have yet to play?IOMMI We haven’t done Dubai yet.DIO We haven’t done Egypt.BUTLER We haven’t done Iraq or Afghanistan.

That could take some time.DIO We haven’t played India either. And we should, because it’s our favorite food. I’m sure we will this year, though. India’s become a hell of a market—lots of money and people who have it to spend now. But that’s about it. I mean, we played Iceland. What more do you want?

Bass Player Live! 2013, an all-star concert and more, will take place November 9 and 10 in Hollywood, California.

The annual event will feature bass clinics and exhibitors and will be highlighted by the November 9 Bass Player LIVE! Concert & Awards Show, which is presented by Hartke.

The concert, which will take place at the Fonda Theatre, will honor a true heavy metal legend, Black Sabbath’s Geezer Butler. Also among the honorees are rockabilly bass legend Lee Rocker of Stray Cays and jazz-rock phenom Tal Wilkenfeld (Jeff Beck), who will be presented with the “Young Gun” award.

The concert and awards show will be hosted by Jim Norton (comedian/actor/radio host/New York Times best-selling author).

“Lee Rocker actually made the standup bass look cool,” Norton says. “Geezer Butler is simply the most underrated bassist and lyricist of all time.”

Tickets are available at bassplayerlive.com. Weekend package tickets that include the concert and awards show along with all clinics and exhibits cost $90. Tickets for the Bass Player LIVE! concert and awards show also can be purchased separately as follows:

Day Pass for Saturday OR Sunday: $37.50Day Pass for Saturday AND Sunday: $52.50Bass Player LIVE Concert general admission: $42.50Bass Player LIVE Concert balcony seat: $45All-Inclusive Day Pass for Saturday and Sunday, plus general admission concert ticket: $90

NOTE: Each day pass purchase includes a complimentary subscription to Bass Player magazine.

The Bass Player LIVE! clinics and exhibitors will take place 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, November 9, and Sunday, November 10, at S.I.R. Studios on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. Bass players of all ages, levels and styles are invited. Doors for the Fonda Theatre open 6:30 p.m. Saturday, November 9. The concert begins 7:30 p.m.

“Bass Player LIVE! is the biggest and baddest bass event of the year,” says Bass Player editor Brian Fox. “This year’s lineup is our heaviest yet. When it comes to hard rock bass playing, Butler wrote the book. That he continues to perform with every bit the raw intensity of his early days in Black Sabbath is an inspiration for players of all ages and all styles. With the Stray Cats, Lee Rocker took the upright bass — already one of the coolest instruments ever—and somehow made it even more hip, slapping the snot out of it to codify the sound of rockabilly bass.

“Tal Wilkenfeld personifies the bright future of rock bass. From her work with Jeff Beck, Herbie Hancock and Joe Walsh to her fleet-fingered solo work, Tal’s refreshing fusion of jazz, soul, funk and rock is something we’ve had our ears and eyes on for a long time. We’re thrilled and honored to have these three artists anchor an evening of amazing performances.”

The daily schedule of clinics and panels is as follows (subject to change):

]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/news/bass-player-live-2013-to-honor-black-sabbaths-geezer-butler.html/feed0Black Sabbath to Play Only One European Concert This Summerhttp://www.revolvermag.com/news/black-sabbath-to-play-only-one-european-show-this-summer.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/black-sabbath-to-play-only-one-european-show-this-summer.html#commentsFri, 17 Feb 2012 19:25:20 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=31990Black Sabbath—who late last year confirmed the recording of their first new album in more than 33 years and a worldwide headlining tour—have had to put some plans on hold due to Tony Iommi’s battle with lymphoma. At this time, Black Sabbath will perform only one show of this summer’s previously scheduled European tour. It will take place Sunday, June 10 at the U.K.’s Download Festival.

So as not to let the promoters and fans down, Ozzy Osbourne will now perform the majority of the previously scheduled Black Sabbath dates (both festival performances and the headlining shows) billed as Ozzy & Friends. These “first ever” Ozzy & Friends shows will feature appearances by “special guest” musicians including Geezer Butler (who will join Ozzy for a special Black Sabbath set as a show of respect and support to their friend, Tony Iommi) and longtime former Ozzy band member Zakk Wylde. In addition, Ozzy will be accompanied by longtime collaborator and friend Slash at select shows, with other “special guests” set to join the tour at various stops along the way (full list of dates, appearances below).

Tony Iommi continues to make excellent progress and is looking forward to getting back out on the road. Meanwhile, Black Sabbath continue to write and record music in the U.K. for their upcoming album. More information about these dates and Black Sabbath’s recording and touring plans is forthcoming.

]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/news/black-sabbath-to-play-only-one-european-show-this-summer.html/feed0Metallica Post Video Recap of Final Night of 30th Anniversary Concertshttp://www.revolvermag.com/news/metallica-post-video-recap-of-final-night-of-30th-anniversary-concerts.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/metallica-post-video-recap-of-final-night-of-30th-anniversary-concerts.html#commentsWed, 04 Jan 2012 05:33:05 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=30805Metallica have posted a video recap of the final night of their 30th anniversary shows in San Francisco, earlier this month. In it, you can see Metallica performing with Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine, Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler, producer Bob Rock, Jason Newsted, original bassist Ron McGovney, guitarist Lloyd Grant, and many more, as well as the opening set by Death Angel. Watch it below, and let us know what you think of it in the comments.

]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/news/metallica-post-video-recap-of-final-night-of-30th-anniversary-concerts.html/feed2Metallica Reunite with Dave Mustaine and Their Original Lineup for 30th Anniversary Festivitieshttp://www.revolvermag.com/news/metallica-reunite-with-dave-mustaine-and-their-original-lineup-for-30th-anniversary-festivities.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/metallica-reunite-with-dave-mustaine-and-their-original-lineup-for-30th-anniversary-festivities.html#commentsMon, 12 Dec 2011 17:38:17 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=29329For the finale of Metallica’s four-night 30th Anniversary concert extravaganza on Saturday night at San Francisco’s the Fillmore, the legendary thrash band reunited onstage with the musicians of its earliest lineups for a rendition of the song “Hit the Lights.” Guitarist Dave Mustaine, who’s made his name with Megadeth in this years since his departure from Metallica, joined Metallica with original bassist Ron McGovney and guitarist Lloyd Grant, who played on the first recording of the song as it appeared on the Metal Massacre compilation in 1982. You can see fan-filmed video of the performance below.

Over the course of the shows, which were held for members of the band’s fan club, Metallica paid tribute to their now-deceased bassist Cliff Burton and joined up with musicians whom they have played with over the years, including Jason Newsted, Black Sabbath’s Ozzy Osbourne and Geezer Butler, Kid Rock, Lou Reed, Marianne Faithfull, Glenn Danzig, Judas Priest’s Rob Halford, Alice in Chains’ Jerry Cantrell, and present and former members of Mercyful Fate, Diamond Head, Armored Saint, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Down, Faith No More, the Anti-Nowhere League, Death Angel, Apocalyptica, Saxon, and more. The band filmed each of the shows, so look for a release of these shows in some form in the future.

]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/news/metallica-reunite-with-dave-mustaine-and-their-original-lineup-for-30th-anniversary-festivities.html/feed0Photos: The Ronnie James Dio Awards Gala at the Playboy Mansionhttp://www.revolvermag.com/photos/photos-the-ronnie-james-dio-awards-gala-at-the-playboy-mansion.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/photos/photos-the-ronnie-james-dio-awards-gala-at-the-playboy-mansion.html#commentsTue, 06 Dec 2011 23:00:21 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=29044The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund held its first annual Awards Gala on November 1. The event will took place at the Playboy Mansion, and Dio’s former bandmate Geezer Butler, as well as Rita Haney, long-time girlfriend of the late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell, were honored. The event also included a silent auction, hosted by That Metal Show cohost and radio personality Eddie Trunk, as well as a performance by Asia, featuring John Payne. To find out more about the cancer fund, or to donate to it, click here. Check out photos from the event, taken by Gene Kirkland, as well as the foundation’s honorees below.

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]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/photos/photos-the-ronnie-james-dio-awards-gala-at-the-playboy-mansion.html/feed1Video: Black Sabbath Announce New Album and World Tourhttp://www.revolvermag.com/news/video-black-sabbaths-press-conference-announcing-a-new-album-and-world-tour.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/video-black-sabbaths-press-conference-announcing-a-new-album-and-world-tour.html#commentsSat, 12 Nov 2011 00:07:51 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=27948All four original members of metal pioneers Black Sabbath—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—held a press conference in Los Angeles today, hosted by Henry Rollins, to announce that they have reunited. The group is halfway through writing an as-yet-untitled new record, which will be produced by Rick Rubin (Metallica, Slayer, Slipknot), and will go into the studio early next year. A release date has yet to be announced. The bandmates will also be heading out on a worldwide tour, including a performing at the U.K.’s Download Festival in June. The group The four have not performed together since 2005. For more, get the RevolverTV app.

]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/news/video-black-sabbaths-press-conference-announcing-a-new-album-and-world-tour.html/feed2Black Sabbath Reunite for New Album and World Tour!http://www.revolvermag.com/news/black-sabbath-reunite-for-new-album-and-world-tour.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/black-sabbath-reunite-for-new-album-and-world-tour.html#commentsFri, 11 Nov 2011 19:27:11 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=27958All four original members of metal pioneers Black Sabbath—Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward—have just announced that they have reunited for their first new album in 33 years. The group is halfway through writing the record, which will be produced by Rick Rubin (Metallica, Slayer, Slipknot), and will go into the studio early next year. A release date has yet to be announced. The bandmates will also be heading out on a worldwide tour, including a performing at the U.K.’s Download Festival in June. The group held a press conference today, hosted by Henry Rollins, to announce the news at the famed Whisky a Go-Go in Los Angeles, the site of the band’s first appearance in the city 41 years ago. The four have not performed together since 2005.

]]>http://www.revolvermag.com/news/black-sabbath-reunite-for-new-album-and-world-tour.html/feed2Ronnie James Dio Cancer Fund Launches Awards Galahttp://www.revolvermag.com/news/ronnie-james-dio-cancer-fund-launches-awards-gala.html
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/ronnie-james-dio-cancer-fund-launches-awards-gala.html#commentsThu, 20 Oct 2011 18:05:36 +0000http://www.revolvermag.com/?p=26303The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund has announced that they will be hosting their first annual Awards Gala, on November 1. The event will take place at the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills, California. Those being honored on the night include Dio’s former bandmate Geezer Butler, as well as Rita Haney, long-time girlfriend of the late Pantera guitarist Dimebag Darrell.

The event, which will also include a silent auction, will feature guest Eddie Trunk hosting, as well as a performance by Asia, featuring John Payne. Individual tickets are $750, with a gold table for 10 people available for $10,000, and a platinum table for 12 people costing $15,000.

The Ronnie James Dio Stand Up and Shout Cancer Fund was set up in the aftermath of the Heaven and Hell frontman’s death from stomach cancer last year. To find out more about the gala, click here.